Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Strategies for Supporting Youth - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Strategies for Supporting Youth and their Families

Crystal George, MS, CRC March 2017

Objectives

• 1. Define culture and diversity, as it relates to

service provision to youth and their families.

• 2. Distinguish between Person-Centered and

Person-Family Interdependent approaches to transition planning.

• 3. Identify best practices in serving individuals

from a variety of backgrounds.

U.S. Department of Education

““Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD)” is an education term used by the U.S. Department of Education to define students enrolled in education programs who are either non-English proficient (NEP) or limited-English proficient (LEP). The term is also used to identify students from homes and communities where English is not the primary language of communication. These students speak a variety of languages and come from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds.”

(Gonzalez, Pagan, Wendell, & Love, 2011)

Webster Defines…

• Diversity: the inclusion of different types of

people in a group or organization.

• Culture: the customs, arts, social institutions,

and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.

• Linguistic: of or relating to language or

linguistics.

What is your cultural identity?

• Caucasian, Asian, African American
• Mother, Father, Sister, Brother
• Employee, friend, advocate, person with a

disability What was your cultural identity?

What comes after High School?

• College
• Work
• Volunteer program
• Day habilitation program or sheltered

workshop

• Staying at home

Transition Planning: IDEA

“Transition planning is intended to involve a youth with a disability and their family in identifying postsecondary goals along with adult services and supports to help achieve these goals.”

Person Centered

• Focus on youth outcomes
• Responsibility for transition services dependent on

professionals

• Limited or no involvement of extended family
• Based on deficits model
• Assessments do not include a review of family cultural

background

• Limited or no adaptations made on assessments
• Goals aligned with youth expectations-determined in IEP

meeting Success: Youth transition goals are met

Mainstream vs. CLD

• Upward mobility
• Self-determination
• Individualism
• Personal choice

(Achola & Greene, 2016)

Lack of Involvement of CLD Families

• 1. Power imbalance
• 2. Psychological or attitudinal barriers
• 3. Logistic barriers
• 4. Information barriers
• 5. Communication barriers
• 6. Socioeconomic status and contextual factors
• 7. Cultural influences

Person-Family Interdependent

• Takes into account the close relationship

between the quality of life of a CLD family and the future adult life of their child with a disability

• Acknowledges the family, as a whole, is

affected by the process and potential

• utcomes

Person-Family Interdependent

• Address both student and family outcomes
• Responsibility for transition services is shared between

families, community members, and professionals

• Extended family involved
• Based on family strengths
• Assessment include a review of family cultural background
• Assessment adaptations reflect sociocultural and linguistic

background of the family

• Transition goals aligned with youth and family expectations
• Goal setting process considers decision making structures

in families

Person-Family Interdependent

Success:

• Youth transition goals are met
• Family needs are met
• Family is satisfied

Best Practices

• Encourage collaboration
• Build Relationships
• Inclusion

Encourage Collaboration

• Include persons from a variety of diverse

backgrounds in any trainings or meetings.

• Assign staff from the same ethnic or linguistic

group.

• Respect disagreements about goals.
• Understand the correlation between proposed

transition activities and the family needs.

Build Relationships

• Meetings are more in depth: you are partnering

with individuals who know the student best.

• Discuss family values, which may indicate

potential areas of concern or conflict.

• Match family members with youth to provide

family-to-family support.

• Provide non-judgmental considerations to

family’s expectations and beliefs about the individual and their future responsibilities.

• Empower the family to build on their own

strengths.

Inclusion

• Offer materials in the families native language.
• Provide interpreters.
• Arrange meetings to ensure inclusion of key

family members.

• Discuss the individuals current and future

roles in supporting his or her family and the expected roles of the individual.

Impact of Best Practices

• Employment-lead to upward mobility in

careers

• Higher Education-lays the foundation for
• btaining supports
• Transition Process-not only impacts current

individual, but provides an opportunity for future productive engagement of CLD families

• Expectations of individual by family and

professional staff

Which Approach is Best?

• Neither is necessarily better
• Both provide a different method or ideas for

working with individuals

• Combination of both?

Scenario #1

You are working with Nyung, a Vietnamese student, on her transition plan. Nyung lives with her mother and father and 25 year old cousin. Nyung’s parents know a limited amount of English; however, Nyung’s cousin is fluent in English. You note there are communication difficulties between you and Nyung’s family regarding her transition plan and outcomes. What do you do? What issues may arise?

Scenario #2

You are assigned Juan’s case, to ensure he is satisfied with his Medicaid Waiver program services and is receiving them as needed. You note during your meetings Juan does not seem to understand you or the information being presented to him. You decide to only communicate with his mother, Lupita, and do not include Juan in your

• discussions. You learn Juan is deaf and only

communicates using ASL. What do you do? What issues may arise?

Take Away

• Every family is different: values, culture, etc.
• Don’t use only your “ideas or assumptions”

– Let them tell their story – Facilitate opportunities to learn more about their culture and values

Once you start to do this, you develop rapport and trust with the individuals you serve.

References

Achola, E. & Greene, G. (2016). Person-family centered transition planning: Improving post-school outcomes to culturally diverse youth and families. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 45, 173-183. Gonzalez, R., Pagan, M., Wendell, L. & Love, C. (2011). Supporting ELL/Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students for Academic

• Achievement. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/teaching-diverse-

learners/sites/brown.edu.academics.education-alliance.teaching-diverse- learners/files/uploads/ELL%20Strategies%20Kit_Intl%20Ctr%20for%20Leadership%20in%20Educ%202011.pdf Luecking, R. (2009). The way to work: How to facilitate work experiences for youth in transition. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Thomas-Presswood, T., & Presswood, D. (2008). Meeting the needs of students and families from poverty: A handbook for school and mental health professionals. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Wehman, P. (2013). Life beyond the classroom (5th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Crystal George, MS, CRC Crystal.George@unt.edu University of North Texas 1155 Union Circle #311456 Denton, TX 76203 940-565-4000